International Coalition for Genital Integrity

International Headquarters

PO Box 8462 • Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Contact: Rio Cruz, 831-423-6105 or Dan Bollinger, 765-427-0595

For more information on Genital Integrity Awareness Week and the Medicaid Report Summary visit http://www.themenscenter.com/intact/GIAWmedia.htm

Medicaid Wastes Millions of Tax Dollars on Medically Unnecessary Circumcisions

Every member of Congress will receive a comprehensive report tomorrow, from members of the International Coalition for Genital Integrity (ICGI), proving that Medicaid is paying in excess of $35 million dollars annually for unnecessary circumcision surgeries.

"Medicaid is wasting tens of millions of dollars a year funding a harmful, unnecessary surgery simply so physicians and hospitals can profit at taxpayer’s expense," says Rio Cruz, ICGI founder and report co-author. "It is time this fraud and abuse came to an end. Almost half of American parents decide to not circumcise their son. Increasingly, Americans are morally opposed to medically unnecessary circumcisions, and they should not have to fund parental choices that they do not agree with, especially when it offers no significant medical benefit to the child."

Congress members will also receive a petition signed by the heads of 47 human rights and genital integrity organizations and centers asking that the government immediately cease the use of federal tax dollars for medically unnecessary circumcisions.

"Medicaid programs that paid physicians more to circumcise reported almost double the circumcision rate as states that pay physicians less," says Amber Craig, report co-author. "It is shocking that whether or not a poor child is circumcised has more to do with how much money a physician is reimbursed than with the child’s health."

J. Steven Svoboda, ICGI member, founder of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child and report co-author comments, "Medicaid funded circumcisions represent the misuse of taxpayer dollars to directly support a medically contraindicated surgery which has serious complications including an estimated 200 deaths per year and which also violates the newborn infant's statutory and human rights. This report is important because it documents the extent of this waste of scarce government revenue, a waste which also adds to lifelong harm for many."

Congress members are receiving this report during the Genital Integrity Awareness Week, April 1st – 7th. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and child rights advocates are in Washington marching and demonstrating against the harmful and painful practice of circumcising infants.

Now that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have affirmed that routine circumcision offers no significant health benefit, many states are reconsidering coverage of circumcision. Six states’ Medicaid programs have already dropped it, including California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, and Mississippi, as well as many private HMOs serving Medicaid covered children. Michigan is considering legislation that will prohibit Medicaid coverage of circumcisions. Many other states are currently considering dropping circumcision as well. Says Craig, "This trend to eliminate coverage for a cultural and sometimes religious procedure will free up millions of dollars for health care to poor children."
-XXX-